Suction roll



E. E. BERRY 7 sUCTIoN ROLL April 7, 1931,

Filed oct. 26.' 1928 3 sheets-sheet 1 vsn Ear/Z1. any

.Filed oct. 26, 1928 s sheets-sheet 2 LI L W W /vEz-czr: Edf/E'. 56K/yApril 7, 1931. E, E BERRY 1,799,775

sUCTIoN ROLL I V F'iled OCb. 26, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 2' packing head.

Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE EARL E. BERRY, OFBELOIT, WISCGNSIN, ASSIGNOB TO BEIQIT IRON WORKS, OF BELOIT,

' WISCONSIN, A. CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN SUCTION BOLL Application filedOctober 26, 1928. Serial No. 315,213.

This invention relates to suction rolls of the type used on papermachines as couch and press rolls.

It is an object of this invention to provide ,l means for adjusting thetension of the packing between the suction box and the interiorv'surface of the shell, the construction of the roll being such thatfurther adjustment after the suction roll is put into operation isrendered unnecessary.'

Other and further important objects of this invention will becomeapparent from the foll 10 and the inner surface of the shell 2 conlowingdescription and appended claims.

On the drawings: l Figure 1 'is a broken longitudinal sectional view ofa suction roll embodying the features of this invention, with parts inelevation;

Figure 2 is a front end elevational view of the suction roll; Figure 3lis a sectional viewr taken substantially online III-III of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a sectionallview taken substantially on line IV-IV of Figurel; and

Figure 5 is a broken top plan view of the The reference numeral 1indicates a perforated cylindrical shell, to the ends of which aresecured heads 2 and 3.` 'The rear head 3 is formed with an elongatedhollow trunnion 4 adapted to be lmounted from a pedestal 5 for rotationupon roller bearings 6 enclosed within a bearing housing ring 7. Thefront head 2 is mounted upon roller bearings 8 for rotation about thestationary extended end 9 of the-suction box 10.

Said suction box 10 comprises l-a substantially cylindrical bodyportionll (Figures 3 and 4) open'atthe vtop and provided with spaced,vertical side walls 12 and13 extending to within a short distance of theinner surface of the shell 1. The front extension 9 of said suction box10 is supported against rotation at its outer end upon a hollowsectional pedestal 14, said pedestal laffording a oommunication betweenthe interior of said suctionbox and a pipe 15 connected to a suitablesource of vacuum (notis'hown). v At the rear end of said suction box 10is 50 positioned a roller 16 journaled in dependent rackets 17 andadapted to roll over the inner the hollow journal 4 of the head 3. Tofacililly slidahle ends 23 and 24carrying end packing strips 25 and 26respectively (Fig. 1).

surface of said shell 1 during the assembling of the roll. A11anti-friction bearing housing 18 is mounted axially of said suction box10 upon a stub-shaft 19 for positioning in tate the positioning of saidbearing housing 18, the outer ring thereof is tapered as at 190,

so that `when the bearing housing is moved into place, the suction boxv10 is elevated suffi.- ciently to lift the roller 16 slightly above theinner surface of said shell 2.

The sealing means between the suction box sists, of a floating packinghead 20, best shown in Fig. 5, which comprises a iiexible aperturedplate 21 having grooves running the length thereof on each side thereoffor receiving resilient packing strips 22. At the end of said packinghead 2O are longitudinal- This packing head 2O is adapted to be suported in full floating position from the walils 12 and 13 by means ofelongated rods 27 and 28 formed of metal or other material such asrubber extending longitudinally of said packing'head and adapted to bepositioned between inclined faces 29 and 30 of said side walls 12 and 13respectively, and the inversely tapered faces of flanges 31 and 32formed on the under side -of said packing head 20.- The ends of saidpacking head 20 are sealed by means of dependent plates 33 and 34(Fig. 1) adapted to slidingly engage the outer end faces 35 and 36,respectively, of said suction box 10.

l The packing head 20 is thus free to move radially of said shell 1 andto confine an area of said shell within which suction may be applied toa web of material travelingV over said roll throughthe perforations insaid shell. A y

Because of the relatively great length of suction rolls on modern papermachines and the impossibility of obtainin an exactly true cylindricalinner surface, it 1s necessary that the packing head 2O be. iiexible andadustable at spaced points throughout its lengt in or- 'der that it mayform a perfect seal with the my present invention, the means foraccomplishing this purpose comprise a plurality of helical coiledsprings 37 enclosed Within cylindrical housings 38 positioned at spacedintervals in transverse webs of the plate 21. Into the bottom of each ofsaid cylindrical housings 38 is threaded an adjusting screw 39 having atits upper end a plate 40 adapted to press against the lower end of saidhelical springs 37. 'Ihe upper end of each of said helical springs 37 iscentered upon a plate or plunger 41 pressing against the under side ofsaid packing head plate 21.

In practice, before the suction box 10 is inserted into the shell 1 ofthe suction roll, the adjusting screw 39 underneath each of the springs37 is screwed up until the radius from the center line of the suctionbox to the rubbing surface of the packing strips 22, 25 and 26, is aboutone-eighth of an inch greater than the actual inside radius of the'roll. The suction box is then run into the shell 2 on the roller 16until the tapered surfaces 19 of the bearing housing 18 at the rear endof said suction box strike the hole in the rear journal 4. As saidbearing housin 18 slips into place, the suction box 10 is raisedslightly to cause the packing head 20 to spring down inside the sidewalls 12 and 13, and make a tight yielding contactbetween the packingstrips 22, 25 and 26, and the inner surface of said shell 1.

After the initial adjustment of said adjusting screws 39 has once beenmade and the suction box l0 inserted in place, no further adjustmentsare, in general, either necessary or desirable. There is therefore noprovision for external adjustment of said springs 37 after the suctionbox has once been put in place and the roll placed in operation. Theadvantage of this feature of my suction roll construction is that iteliminates subsequent adjustment by the operators of the suction rolland the possibility-of their setting up too tight on the packing,thereby causing excessive wear. It has been ascertained that once thepacking has been properly adjusted, it does not need any furtherattention, experience indicating that the packing slowly wears until ithas relieved all the initial spring tension that was put onto it, afterwhich the packin merel brushes the inside of the roll.` his lightbrushing by the packing of the inner surface of the roll is madepossible by the fact that the packing head is balanced as to ,air`pressure upon the selfladjusting sealing rods 27 and 28.

The shdable end plates 23 and 24 carrying the end packing strips 25 and26 are rendered longitudinally adjustable/by means of lever arms 42 and43 pivoted at their lower ends as at 44 and 45, respectively, to thebottom' of said suction box 10, with their upper ends extending throughelongated slots 46 and 47, formed in said end plates 23 and 24respectively. Control rods 51 and 52 pivotally connected to pointsintermediate the ends of said levers 42 and 43, respectively, andextending through the end 48 of said ysuction box l0 serve for externalmanual adjustment of the end plates 23 and 24 to narrow or widen thearea confined by said packing head. A bearsuction box mounted withinsaid shell, a float- 1 l ing head for said box adapted to Contact theinterior of said shell and to confine an area thereof and separatelyfunctioning resilient means positioned at spaced points along the lengthof said suction box for supporting said head, said resilient means beingadapted to be adjusted permanently prior to insertion of said box insaid shell.

2. In a suction roll, a perforated shell, a suction boxmounted withinsaid shell, a iioating head for said box adapted to contact the interiorof said shell and to confine an area thereof, said head havinglongitudinally adjustable ends provided with elongated slots, j leverarms pivotally connected'to said box and extending through said slotsand means pivotally connected to said lever arms intermediate their endsand extending through one end of said suction box for actuating saidlever arms and thereby adjust said ends.

3. In a suction roll, a perforated shell, heads for said shell, one ofsaid heads having a hollow extended journal, a suction box mountedWithin said shell, a packing head for 'greater than the radius of theshell, a roller mounted on the inner end of the suction box, a bearingaxially mounted on said inner end having tapered faces adapted when thebox is inserted into said shell to engage the interior surface of saidhollow journal and to elevate said box sufficiently to raise said rollerolf the surface of said shell and to spring the packing head down insideto make tight contact between the packing and the inner surface of saidshell.

4. In a suction roll, a perforated shell, heads for said shell, one ofsaid heads having a hollow extended journal, a suction box mountedlwithin said shell, a packing hea'd for said box adapted to Contact theinterior of said shell and to confine an area thereof, longitudinallyspaced resilient means for supportin said head, lower adjusting screwsfor each o said resilient means adapted to be adjusted prior to mountingthe suction boxin the shell until the radius from the center line of thebox to the rubbing surface of the packw ing is slightly greater than theradius of the shell, a roller mounted on the inner end of A the suctionbox, a bearing axially mounted on said inner end having tapered facesadapted when the box is inserted into said shell to engage the interiorsurface of said hollow journal and to elevatefsaid box suicientl toraise said roller off the surface of said s ell and to spring thepacking head down inside to make tight contact between the packing andthe inner surface of said shell.

5. In a suction roll, including a perforated rotatable shell and astationa suction box therein, a iexible packing hea for said boxIadapted to contact the inner surface of said shell to conne an areathereof, means supporting said head from said box in full floatinposition and separately functioning re' silient means positioned atspaced points along the length of said suction box for adjusting saidhead, said resilient means being adapted to be ad'usted permanentlyprior to insertion of said ox in said shell.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Beloit, RockCounty, Wis- A i consin.

` EARL E.' BERRY.

